No Pushover Opponent
The first inning ended with both sides going down 1-2-3.
Munhyeok High's offense resumed.
“……”
“……”
Batter Geum Seong-muk versus pitcher Cheon Ji-uk.
Today's pitcher-versus-pitcher matchup had evolved into a direct clash between pitcher and batter.
The crowd was dying to see how their first encounter would play out, and after an eight-pitch battle, it came to a head.
Crack!
A solidly struck ball soaring deep.
But the Bukhang Dome was a massive park, and it died right at the warning track, snagged by the right fielder.
“Pfft, so you really can't hit my stuff, huh.”
Cheon Ji-uk shrugged, smirking smugly.
But Seong-muk couldn't care less.
'Hmm, so that's how it feels.'
Seong-muk had gotten a read on Cheon Ji-uk during their direct matchup.
Enemy or not, he was a damn good pitcher.
He'd made solid contact that time, but it just lacked a smidge of power to clear the wall. Meaning, with a little more oomph, it would've been gone.
'Okay, got the blueprint.'
Munhyeok High's lineup wrapped up with outs, ending the inning, but Seong-muk wasn't worried. Their bats tended to start slow, but after a full cycle, they'd adjust and heat up.
Priority one: keep the mound scoreless.
Munhyeok High's defense took the field again.
Up to bat: Hwang Tae-gang.
He was facing Seong-muk's pitches as an opponent today, after catching them all season as his battery mate.
He might just be the player in this world most familiar with Seong-muk's arsenal.
And that familiarity became a weapon in the box.
Crack!
“Tch, should've known he'd smoke that one first pitch.”
Seong-muk clicked his tongue as Tae-gang reached.
Maybe he shouldn't have shared all those tips back on the national team.
But letting it turn into a run? Not on his watch.
Thwack!!
“Strike three!”
Whoosh!
“Strike three!”
Seong-muk fanned the fifth-place hitter Gunnar Johansen and sixth-place Jeong Pil-gyo in a row. He got seventh-place Jang Dong-pil on a grounder and escaped unscathed again.
The pitchers traded scoreless frames in a gem of a duel.
By the bottom of the fourth, it was still locked at 0-0.
Seong-muk climbed the mound once more.
First up: No. 3 hitter Fujii Arata.
Ding!
Name: Fujii Arata
Nationality: Japan
Age: 17
Height: 182cm
Affiliation: Bujeon High School
Skill / Heavenly Swing (S)
: Contact ability greatly improves in 2-strike counts.
Batter Stats (*Potential) / RHB Switch? Wait, righty throw lefty bat
Power: B+
Contact: S (*S+)
Speed: C+
Eye: A+ (*S)
Defense: A (*A+)
Arm: A+ (*S)
Recommended Position: 3B
'Gotta be careful here.'
Elite contact guy with sneaky gap power from his wrists. He'd seen Seong-muk's stuff once already—time to tread lightly.
Thwack!
“Strike!”
First pitch: a 12-6 curve for a strike.
Second: sweeper taken for a ball.
Third pitch: Seong-muk fired a heater tight inside.
Arata's bat whipped around viciously.
Crack!
A bullet liner to third.
Ryu Ji reacted instantly—but—
'Damn, what speed...!'
Ryu Ji reeled at the blistering exit velo.
The ball glanced off his glove and trickled toward the left field wall.
The name of the first-year phenom echoed through the Bukhang Dome.
He thrust his hand high toward the crowd.
“Sorry, Seong-muk.”
“Don't sweat it, man.”
Seong-muk patted Ryu Ji's shoulder as he came to apologize and sent him back.
It stung—he could've had it—but considering everything Ryu Ji had done for him, no complaints.
'The real issue's Hwang Tae-gang next...'
Bujeon High's toughest customer.
Tae-gang, who'd already singled earlier.
With a runner at second, Seong-muk attacked warily, guarding the hit.
Crack!
A deep fly to right.
As the ball settled in Ri Dong-hyeok's glove, the runner at second, Arata, bolted.
“Hmph...”
Seong-muk read their game as Tae-gang grinned and retreated.
Rather than chase big innings against him with consecutive hits, they'd squeeze every run they could.
'Not giving it up easy, though.'
Seong-muk grinded through tricky at-bats.
Johansen flailed and fouled one off weakly.
Crack!
“Mine! My ball!!”
A shallow fly to center fielder Ji Su-yong.
Too short for the runner at third.
Su-yong's arm was no joke.
But the throw sailed a hair high, forcing catcher Seok Un-gang to drop low—and that split-second decided it.
Safe!
“Safe!”
“Arrrgh, Seong-muk hyungnim! Sorry!”
“No need to apologize. Just ball out next time.”
“Yes sir, I'll make it up!!”
Su-yong snapped a crisp salute, vowing to Seong-muk.
Seong-muk whiffed No. 6 Jeong Pil-gyo cleanly to end the inning.
Top of the fifth, Seong-muk cracked his neck as he stepped in.
“Time to get that run back.”
Give up one? Just take two.
Leadoff in the fifth: cleanup hitter Geum Seong-muk.
He'd flown out to the outfield last time, but he planned meaningful damage this go-around.
“Switch.”
Solar Divine Vein stat changes reset!
Power stat boosted: A+ → S!
Contact stat boosted: A+ → S!
Eye stat boosted: A+ → S!
Seong-muk's key hitting stats hit triple S.
Power surged through his frame in the box.
Ding!
Name: Cheon Ji-uk
Nationality: South Korea
Age: 19 (Sr.)
Height: 186cm
Affiliation: Bujeon High School
Skill / Hyena's Instinct (A)
: Detects the batter's aim on the previous pitch.
# Pitcher Stats (*Potential) / LHP Overhand
Stamina: A+ (*S)
Control: A (*A+)
Fastball: S (*S)
Stuff: A+ (*A+)
Breaking Balls: S (*S)
Knuckle Curve: A
Slider: A+
Circle Changeup: S
'Those stats plus that busted skill...'
Already filthy stuff, now with that? Top-tier pitcher material.
An upgrade to the old tingle-sensor from before Solar Divine Vein awakened. A-rank but predictive—insanely useful.
High-slot overhand made it even tougher.
Of course, not uncrackable.
The skill keyed off the previous pitch's read.
First pitch? No prior intel.
Seong-muk spotted the fastball letter-high and unleashed.
Crack!
“...!!”
The park shook with the blast.
Cheon Ji-uk whipped around in shock.
The announcer foamed at the mouth.
But Seong-muk tsked.
'Damn, would've left most parks.'
Damn high walls in Bukhang.
As expected, it caromed off the fence.
“Shoot!”
Left fielder O Se-jun flubbed the big bounce briefly.
Then he saw it: Seong-muk rounding second for third.
“That bastard!!”
Turning a lefty pull into a triple? Ultimate humiliation for LF.
O Se-jun scooped and rifled it. Seong-muk slid in with serious steam.
Safe!
“Safe, safe!!”
The ump's arms shot skyward.
Seong-muk answered their run with a triple.
Munhyeok High's sparse but fervent fans chanted his name wildly.
“Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk...!!”
None out, runner at third.
Seong-muk looked to Un-gang next—but it fell short.
Thwack!
“Out!”
He popped it to the catcher for out No. 1.
Up next: Ji Su-yong.
He unloaded on the first pitch.
Whoosh!
“Strike!!”
Whiffed hard on the inside slider.
Cheon Ji-uk scowled at him.
'Probably couldn't read it—Su-yong's all athleticism.'
Su-yong was a pure max-effort swinger, reacting raw to the pitch.
Unlike guess-hitters telegraphing their hunts.
No target pitch meant no tells.
Cheon Ji-uk's skill got zilch on him.
'Kid's been grinding lately too.'
Skin went pale, skills tanked—sun tan or bust, all sorts of jinxes and salt raining down.
Back to ghost-white? Time to prove it wasn't the tan.
“Hup!”
Cheon Ji-uk's second offering: a big-breaking circle change.
But Su-yong had seen better.
This? Totally crushable.
Crack!
Su-yong unleashed a monster.
Clearing the wall? Nah, bad luck.
Thud!
“Yesss!!”
“Nice hit!”
Munhyeok High mobbed Seong-muk at the plate.
Everyone knew this thunder lineup wouldn't roll over.
Munhyeok hoped to keep the momentum.
But Cheon Ji-uk wasn't ranked No. 3 lefty nationwide for nothing.
Thwack!
“Strike three!”
Thwack!
“Strike three!!”
He punched out Ri Dong-hyeok and Seo Kyung-su back-to-back.
Two near-homers in an inning? He was pissed.
Munhyeok's bats went down scoreless.
Now Seong-muk returned to the mound.
He strolled out slow, chatting with catcher Un-gang behind the glove.
“Geum Seong-muk si-ju, their bats seem to be settling in.”
“Yeah, stick to this pattern and we might get lit up this inning.”
“Then, as expected...”
“Time to mix it up.”
Seong-muk grinned.
He had two variant patterns prepped.
'One crushes with raw stuff, the other...'
The hero of his perfect game versus the Americans.
Unleash the S+ circle changeup.
'I'll show you what a real circle change is, Cheon Ji-uk.'
Seong-muk hit the mound, clapped rosin, and smirked.
He fired a big windup toward home.